We already brought you part one of our series on the cicada. Since there is so much more to learn about this interesting animal, here are few more facts.
Number Eight: The Life Span Of A Cicada Is Fairly Long
When compared to other insects, cicadas won the life span lottery. Instead of a few hours or a week, cicadas live as long as four to six weeks.
Number Seven: Power Tools Attract Them
Number Six: They Are A Cooking Delicacy
Cooking a cicada may be some people’s first thought if their noise gets on their nerves. But in some cultures, this is just part of the local diet. The insects can be fried, baked or roasted but the question is how good do they actually taste?
Number Five: They Improve Front Lawns
They may be attracted to lawn mowers, but cicadas can also improve lawns. The tunnels they dig underground allow air to reach all parts of the grass roots, helping it to grow. And when they die, their bodies put nitrogen back in the soil.
Number Four: They Are Terrible Fliers
With five eyes, you would think that cicadas would be great fliers. Apparently this is not true. They tend to bump into things and do not fly straight.
Number Three: They Will Not Actually Harm You
The media likes to say that cicadas can attack people when this is not actually possible. They do not bite or sting.
Number Two: Bob Dylan Was Inspired By Them
He may not have gotten the name of the cicada right, but Bob Dylan was moved by the cicada’s song enough to write a song about them. The singer had had a bad day after receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University and the feeling of the university did not agree with him. He wrote “Day of the Locusts” to explain his misery and listened to the cicadas while writing, creating the title.
Number One: There Is A Good Reason For The Hibernation Intervals
Thirteen and 17 years is quite awhile to sleep. But cicadas do this because reemerging on these timetables allows them to reproduce in extremely high numbers. There is also the fact that reappearing then also throws their predators off track. Smart insects! Thanks for reading our pieces on the cicada!
